A portable voting booth that includes a table having a top surface and a bottom surface, a plurality of legs configured to support the table, and a plurality of leg supports attached to the table and configured to stabilize the legs during use of the voting booth. In some embodiments, the leg supports are movable from an open position to a closed position in which the leg supports are immovably secured to the table for storage. Preferably, the leg supports are disengaged from the legs and generally flush with the bottom surface of the table when the leg supports are in the closed storage position.
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1. A portable voting booth, comprising:
a table having a top surface and a bottom surface;
a plurality of legs configured to support the table;
a plurality of leg supports attached to the table and movable between an open position and a closed storage position, wherein each of the leg supports comprises a generally planar triangle-shaped body having first, second and third sides, wherein the first and second sides intersect to form a leg connection portion that engages and stabilizes one of the legs when the leg supports are in the open position, wherein the third side is hingedly attached to the table, and wherein the table comprises a plurality of fasteners each of which engages at least a portion of one of the leg supports when the leg supports are in the closed storage position to immovably secure the leg supports to the table.
13. A portable voting booth, comprising:
a table having a top surface and a bottom surface, wherein the table comprises a plurality of fasteners;
a plurality of legs removably attached to the table;
a plurality of leg supports attached to the table and movable between an open position and a closed storage position, wherein each of the leg supports comprises a generally planar triangle-shaped body having first, second and third sides, wherein the first and second sides intersect to form a leg connection portion that engages and stabilizes one of the legs when the leg supports are in the open position and the third side is hingedly attached to the table, and wherein each of the fasteners of the table engages at least a portion of one of the leg supports when the leg supports are in the closed storage position to immovably secure the leg supports to the table.
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26. The portable voting booth of
a privacy screen attached to the table and configured to provide voter privacy.
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Not applicable.
Not applicable.
The present invention relates generally to the field of portable voting booths, and more particularly to a portable voting booth that can be used to support a voting machine or to provide a writing surface on which a paper ballot may be hand-marked by a voter.
Portable voting booths are frequently used at polling locations to provide a private space for voters to cast their ballots in an election. Some portable voting booths have a table that supports a voting machine, such as a direct-recording electronic (DRE) voting machine, which can be used by a voter to electronically cast a ballot. Other portable voting booths have a table that provides a flat writing surface on which a paper ballot may be hand-marked by a voter. When not in use, some portable voting booths are disassembled and stored until the next election. For this reason, it is common for portable voting booths to include removable legs that can be readily attached to the table during use and detached from the table for storage.
A problem with many portable voting booths is that the legs do not adequately support the weight of the table, let alone the added force imposed on the table by the voter during use. Also, some portable voting booths with removable legs are configured such that the legs are not securely held in place and can move about their point of attachment to the table. As a result, many portable voting booths are unstable and can “wobble” when used by a voter. Thus, there is a need for an improved portable voting booth that is stable during use and/or can be disassembled for storage.
The present invention is directed to a portable voting booth that generally includes a table, a plurality of legs configured to support the table, and a plurality of leg supports attached to the table that stabilize the legs during use of the voting booth. In some embodiments, the leg supports are attached to the bottom surface of the table and are movable between an open position in which the leg supports stabilize the legs and a closed position in which the leg supports are secured for storage.
The table of the portable voting booth has a top surface and a bottom surface. In one embodiment, the top surface of the table supports an electronic voting machine. The electronic voting machine may be provided in a carrying case that can be opened and closed, and the lower base of the carrying case when opened functions as the table of the portable voting booth. In another embodiment, the top surface of the table provides a writing surface on which a paper ballot is hand-marked by a voter.
In some embodiments, the legs of the portable voting booth are removably attached to the bottom surface of the table. As such, the legs may be attached to the table during use and detached from the table for storage.
In some embodiments, the leg supports of the portable voting booth are movable to an open position in which the leg supports stabilize the legs during use of the voting booth. In one embodiment, each of the leg supports includes a leg connection portion that engages one of the legs. The leg connection portion may comprise a mouth shaped to receive a portion of the leg and, preferably, the inner surface of the mouth includes an overmolded piece formed from rubber, plastic, thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) or similar materials so as to frictionally grip the portion of the leg received within the mouth.
In some embodiments, the leg supports of the portable voting booth are movable to a closed storage position in which the leg supports are secured to the table in such a manner as to substantially prevent movement of the leg supports in relation to the table. In one embodiment, the table includes fasteners that immovably secure the leg supports to the bottom surface of the table. For example, each of the fasteners may comprise a latch that engages a portion of one of the leg supports. Preferably, the leg supports are disengaged from the legs and are generally flush with the bottom surface of the table when the leg supports are in the closed storage position.
In exemplary embodiments, the portable voting booth includes a table, a plurality of legs removably attached to the bottom surface of the table, and a plurality of leg supports attached to the bottom surface of the table via hinged connections. Each of the leg supports comprises a generally planar triangle-shaped body having first, second and third sides. The first and second sides of each leg support body intersect to form a leg connection portion that engages and stabilizes one of the legs when the leg supports are in the open position. The third side of each leg support body includes at least one leaf having at least one knuckle that interlocks with a pin positioned on the bottom surface of the table so as to provide a hinged connection. To disassemble the portable voting booth, the leg supports are disengaged from the legs, the legs are removed from the table, and the leg supports are moved to the closed storage position. Fasteners positioned on the bottom surface of the table are used to immovably secure the leg supports to the bottom surface of the table. When secured, the legs supports are generally flush with the bottom surface of the table so as to provide a compact unit for storage.
Various exemplary embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the attached drawing figures, wherein:
The present invention is directed to a portable voting booth with leg supports that stabilize the legs during use of the voting booth. While the invention will be described in detail below with reference to various exemplary embodiments, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific structural configurations of these embodiments. In addition, although the exemplary embodiments are described as embodying several different inventive features, one skilled in the art will appreciate that any one of these features could be implemented without the others in accordance with the present invention.
Referring to
Carrying case 12 consists of a lower base 18 and a cover 20 that are attached via a hinged connection so as to permit carrying case 12 to be moved between an open position shown in
As shown in
Preferably, portable voting booth 10 includes a left privacy screen 28a and a right privacy screen 28b that are positioned in generally parallel vertical planes. Privacy screens 28a, 28b together with cover 20 provide privacy when voters cast their ballots in an election. Privacy screens 28a, 28b may be attached along at least a portion of their bottom edges to top surface 22 of table 18 and may be attached along at least a portion of their rear edges to cover 20. In this embodiment, privacy screens 28a, 28b are attached to top surface 22 of table 18 and to cover 20 via the use of Velcro® brand tape strips. Of course, other types of temporary or permanent attachment means may also be used. Privacy screens 28a, 28b may also be modified to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by the addition of privacy screen extensions (not shown), as is well known in the art.
In order to move carrying case 12 from the open position shown in
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
As best shown in
Leg 14a can readily be decoupled and removed from bottom surface 34 of table 18 by compressing spring clip 44 via the application of force to grip 50, which moves grip 50 and spring clip 44 away from side wall 58 and toward leg portion 38 of leg 14a. At this point, latch 52 of grip 50 and catch 56 of keyed slot 54 are no longer interlocked, thereby reversing the steps described above in connection with the attachment of leg 14a to bottom surface 34 of table 18. When leg 14a is decoupled and removed from bottom surface 34 of table 18 (as well as legs 14b, 14c, 14d through the same process), the legs can be stored along with carrying case 12 until needed for use in another election.
It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the use of removable legs that are attached to the bottom surface of the table as described in connection with the first exemplary embodiment. In some embodiments, the legs may be attached using other types of attachment means known in the art, e.g., the legs may be screwed into the table, the legs may twist and lock-in with friction fittings, or the legs may be attached using bungee cords through the center. In other embodiments, the removable legs may be attached to another portion of the portable voting booth. For example, the legs could be attached to the sides of the table rather than its bottom surface.
In yet other embodiments, the legs of the portable voting booth need not be removable, e.g., the legs may be permanently attached to the table. In some embodiments in which the legs are permanently attached to the table, the legs are movable to a storage position in order to save space. For example, the legs could be foldable (e.g., via attachment to the table with hinges) and/or the legs could be telescoping so as to collapse to a storage position. Thus, a number of different leg configurations and attachment means may be used within the scope of the present invention.
Referring to
Referring to
First side 62 and second side 64 of the leg support body intersect to form a leg connection portion 68 that, as shown in
Of course, it should be understood that the leg connection portion may have other configurations within the scope of the present invention. For example, the leg connection portion may have a cross-section that is square, rectangular or any other shape, provided that the cross-section of the leg has a complimentary shape to enable the leg connection portion to intimately contact the leg.
Referring to
Referring to
As best shown in
Of course, it should be understood that the leg support may have other configurations within the scope of the present invention. For example, the leg support may have a leg support body of any geometry, size and shape provided it includes a portion that can be attached to the bottom surface of the table and a portion that can engage and stabilize the leg.
Leg support 16a may be moved to the closed storage position by disengaging arcuate mouth 70 with overmolded piece 72 from leg portion 38, detaching leg 14a from bottom surface 34 of table 18 (as discussed above), and rotating leg support 16a about pins 80, 82 until the leg support body is generally flush with bottom surface 34 of table 18. As shown in
Fastener 60a is best shown in
In order to move leg support 16a from the closed storage position to the open position, fastener 60a and catch 74 of leg support 16a are disengaged by applying force to tab 88 to move or flex latch 90 toward screw 86 so that catch 74 is no longer interlocked with latch 90. The force applied to tab 88 may then be released and leg support 16a is rotated about pins 80, 82 to the open position. Conversely, leg support 16a may be moved from the open position to the closed storage position by rotating leg support 16a about pins 80, 82 to the position generally shown in
It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the use of leg supports that are secured to the bottom surface of the table using fasteners as described in connection with the first exemplary embodiment. In some embodiments, other types of fasteners known in the art may be used, such as button snaps, magnets, Velcro® brand fasteners, or any other type of clip. In other embodiments, the leg supports may be secured to another portion of the portable voting booth. In yet other embodiments, the leg supports are not movable and are permanently held in an open position, although this configuration is not preferred insofar as the voting booth could not be disassembled to provide a compact unit for storage.
Referring to
Table 102 includes a top surface 108 that provides a writing surface on which a paper ballot is hand-marked by a voter. Preferably, a three-panel, foldable privacy screen 110 is included that provides privacy when voters cast their ballots in an election. As can be seen, privacy screen 110 includes a left panel 110a, a center panel 110b and a right panel 110c, which are attached along their bottom edges to top surface 108 of table 102. In this embodiment, panels 110a, 110b, 110c are attached to top surface 108 of table 102 via the use of Velcro® brand tape strips. Of course, other types of temporary or permanent attachment means may also be used. Left and right panels 110a, 110c may also be modified to comply with the ADA by the addition of privacy screen extensions (not shown), as is well known in the art.
It should be understood that the bottom surface of table 102 is identical to that of table 18 of the first exemplary embodiment and will not be separately described herein. Further, it should be understood that legs 104a, 104b, 104c, 104d have the same configuration as legs 14a, 14b, 14c, 14d of the first exemplary embodiment and, similarly, leg supports 106a, 106b, 106c, 106d have the same configuration as leg supports 16a, 16b, 16c, 16d of the first exemplary embodiment. As such, the structure and functionality of each of these components will not be separately described herein.
The description set forth above provides several embodiments of the inventive subject matter. Although each embodiment represents a single combination of inventive elements, the inventive subject matter is considered to include all possible combinations of the disclosed elements. Thus, if one embodiment comprises elements A, B, and C, and a second embodiment comprises elements B and D, then the inventive subject matter is also considered to include other remaining combinations of A, B, C, or D, even if not explicitly disclosed.
The use of any and all examples or exemplary language (e.g., “such as”) provided with respect to certain embodiments is intended merely to better describe the invention and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the invention. No language in the description should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element essential to the practice of the invention.
As used herein, unless the context dictates otherwise, the terms “coupled to,” “connected to” and “attached to” are intended to include both direct coupling (in which two elements are directly connected to each other) and indirect coupling (in which at least one additional element is located between the two elements).
Also, the recitation of ranges of values herein is merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range. Unless otherwise indicated, each individual value is incorporated into the description as if it were individually recited herein.
While the present invention has been described and illustrated hereinabove with reference to several exemplary embodiments, it should be understood that various modifications could be made to these embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention. Therefore, the present invention is not to be limited to the specific structural configurations of the exemplary embodiments, except insofar as such limitations are included in the following claims.
Waggoner, Trevor, Dale, Aaron, Beyer, Steve
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Executed on | Assignor | Assignee | Conveyance | Frame | Reel | Doc |
Jun 05 2017 | WAGGONER, TREVOR | PIVOT INTERNATIONAL, INC | ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS | 042756 | /0481 | |
Jun 05 2017 | DALE, AARON | PIVOT INTERNATIONAL, INC | ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS | 042756 | /0481 | |
Jun 05 2017 | BEYER, STEVE | PIVOT INTERNATIONAL, INC | ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS | 042756 | /0481 | |
Jun 16 2017 | PIVOT INTERNATIONAL, INC | Election Systems & Software, LLC | ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS | 042756 | /0570 | |
Jun 20 2017 | Election Systems & Software, LLC | (assignment on the face of the patent) | / | |||
Jun 28 2023 | Election Systems & Software, LLC | BANK OF AMERICA, N A , AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT | NOTICE OF GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS | 064164 | /0648 |
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